The most profitable time of the year is finally here!
As the multi-billion dollar season approaches, it’s time to consider what holiday marketing you have planned to maximize revenue at this critical time for any small business. While there are many ways to entice buyers with your product this holiday season, email marketing is a fantastic way to engage your current consumer base.
Here are our five steps for effective email marketing strategies that will have you on all the holiday shopping lists this year!
1. Do The Dirty Work (Research)
There are two areas of research you should consider: Your past performance and your competitors.
Take a look at any past holiday campaigns you have completed and try to see what worked and what didn’t. Have there been subject lines that really missed the mark? Or promotions that exceeded expectations? By looking at your own trends, you can understand where to take your holiday marketing this year.
Next, take a look at what your competitors are doing. Not only could this spark some inspiration, but you can gauge what offers would draw potential customers away from these competitors.
Sign up for their newsletters now if you have not done so already and take note of their key email components such as subject line, promotional offers, calls to action, and branding.
2. Set A Promotional Strategy
Decide how you want to handle promotions ahead of time so that you are not caught in the whirlwind of the holiday rush. Depending on the nature of your product, you may want to offer a deep discount right off the bat to reel in bargain shoppers.
Naturally, this may be a shorter promotion that will need a clear timeline and offer dates. Try not to offer too many discounts before promoting this one so that it seems more impactful.
You can also offer smaller, short-term discounts for a steady promotion during the season. You can tweak the discount as needed with deeper discounts during holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This may not have the shock value as a deep discount, but will still catch attention with the right messaging.
Lastly, don’t forget about your existing customers! Offering presales, VIP treatment, or “unlocked” products can make them feel special and renew their loyalty for the holidays. 40% of sales come from repeat customers, so don’t overlook those buyers.
3. Start Getting Festive
Once the research is wrapped and the promos are calculated, it’s time to get creative with your email campaigns!
A key part of holiday marketing is to have a clean and consistent holiday branding that incorporates your existing branding. You want customers to open your email and immediately know who is talking to them…but with some holiday cheer sprinkled in.
Some holiday email campaigns examples include:
Surprise Deals
Give your customers the gift of a discount!
Gift Card Promotions
It brings business back you and also takes the guesswork from the buyer.
Naughty or Nice
A festive, engaging, and eye-catching newsletter opportunity.
4. Optimize List Segments
If you haven’t done so already, take a moment to segment your email subscribers. Here is an article that breaks down exactly how small businesses can do so. Segmentation will allow you to target certain customers and avoid messaging fatigue. It’s best to send products and deals to people it will resonate with so that you can send out an influx of emails this season without having your unsubscribe rate skyrocket. Consider the common causes of growing unsubscribe rates and think about the necessity of each full list email.
5. Record Analytics and Learn
At the end of the holiday season, there will be many lessons to be learned and celebrations to be had. With strategic planning, clear communication and some creativity, you are sure to make it through the winter season. To experience long-term benefits from your efforts, make sure to keep track of all your newsletter analytics and reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your campaigns.
You will thank yourself when you buckle up for next year’s holiday season with Step 1 all ready to go!
Need help with holiday marketing? Talk to our marketing experts.
